Back to You
by Steph Berg
Summary: Haley knew she couldn't hide forever, and now was finally time for her to be, again, face to face with the man who changed her life forever. Naley. AU.
1. Chapter 1

**Summary: **Haley knew she couldn't hide forever. And it was finally time for her to be, again, face to face with the man who changed her life forever. Naley. AU.

**A/N: Hey guys, my life is really crazy right now but I decided to start a new story today. Hope you guys give it a try and leave a review if possible. :)**

**Chapter 1**

Nathan closed his eyes briefly and then opened them again, looking around the place. It was crowded and the music was loud enough to make his head hurt. He had a full day at work and, truthfully, was not in the mood to go anywhere. But Lucas could always persuade him to something, he had to say that. Nathan was tired and not in the mood for any kind of conversation or trouble of any kind. He just wanted to be left alone for a while.

It had been a crazy week: work was hectic and his life was a total mess in all means possible. His current girlfriend, Megan, was driving him crazy with all her clinginess all the time and he was about to lose it with her any time soon, even though he was really trying to do things right with her. Maybe it was time for a vacation, leave New York a little bit, but, deep inside, Nathan knew it was not going to solve his problems at all.

"What's on your mind, Nate?"

He groaned lightly and focused loosely on his brother Lucas, who was now sitting beside him. They were just hanging out at a bar near Nathan's apartment with the girls and Jake. Brooke and Peyton were, thankfully, too busy talking about anything.

"Nothing. I'm just tired. I think I'll head home soon."

Lucas raised his eyebrows slowly and then nodded at him.

"Dan has been calling you lately, hasn't he?"

"Seems like he can't live without making me feel miserable." Nathan sighed and shook his head in the process.

"Do you want me to-"

"No, Luke, that's ok. It's not like he can actually do something to harm me or anything... we're past that a long time ago."

"But he still gets to you." Lucas pointed and took a swing of his beer. He was always looking out for Nathan, especially when it came to Dan. Their father was always messing with Nathan's head since they were little, and when Nathan decided not to go for a basketball career, Dan went a little more crazy on the younger Scott. Lucas never understood why Nathan declined the offers he got when they were still in college, but he wondered it was because of Dan. Nathan mentioned how he was tired of their dad picking on him all the time, and slowly lost his interest in the game. It was visible to all of them at the time.

"I'm doing my best to ignore him."

"If you need any help, you can always ask me, you know?"

Nathan smiled thankfully to his brother and nodded his head.

"I think I need to go." Nathan simply said some time later, getting up.

"See you tomorrow?"

"Yeah, sure. I'll drop by around noon."

"Be sure to bring more beer, bro." Lucas winked at him. He and Brooke would be hosting a small get together at their house on Saturday, and Nathan was obviously invited to go.

"Okay."

"Is Megan going with you?"

"I don't know. She said she would try, though, but I'm not sure. Maybe it would be better if she doesn't come, considering Brooke and everything..." Nathan rolled his eyes.

"I can take care of Brooke." Lucas said and Nathan laughed.

"Sure you can." He rolled his eyes playfully. "See you tomorrow, Luke. Say bye to Brooke and the others for me."

He exited the place without waiting for him to respond and fished his keys from his pocket, walking slowly to his car.

**XxXxXxXxX**

"What took you so long to open the door?"

She entered his apartment without asking and dropped her purse on the couch. Nathan ran his hand through his messed hair and closed the door, trying to think properly. it was near nine o'clock and he was planning to keep sleeping until eleven thirty. When Megan started ringing the bell insistently, thought, he knew it was not happening.

"I was sleeping." He told her as soon as he turned to her. He was wearing just his boxers and his hair was all over the place. Nathan let himself fall on the couch and then sighed loudly.

"I texted you earlier to say I was coming to drop by around nine."

"Well, I didn't see it 'cause I was sleeping. Why did you come so early? I told you I was not leaving until later."

"I missed you." She smiled sweetly at him and sat on his lap, giving him a quick peck on the lips. "And I wanted to spend some time alone with you... you know, just the two of us. You're always so busy with work, I'm barely getting to see you these days..."

"I know." He focused on her green eyes and patted her leg slowly. "Sorry."

"You have to make it up for me..." She smiled wickedly at him this time and licked her lips in anticipation. Nathan smiled back, capturing her lips in a slow and sensual kiss while his hands travelled through her back and her legs. Meg smiled between the kisses they were now sharing and rubbed herself more forcefully on his ripped body, waiting for him to get a clue and actually give her what she wanted.

"Wanna take a shower with me?"

"I thought you'd never ask."

He smiled a little and ran his hands through her body one more time before getting up.

**XxXxXxXxXxX**

Lucas rolled his eyes and continued following his wife around the kitchen. She was talking nonstop about how Nathan was testing her patience when he decided to come to their house with Megan. She couldn't stand the girl, that was final. Nathan always had lots of girlfriends or little flings but they never got to Brooke like this one.

"Brooke, maybe he likes her."

"What?!" She turned quickly to face her husband and he took a step back when he saw the look on his face. "You have to be kidding me, right, Lucas?"

"Yeah, you know..." Lucas started cautiously this time. "Maybe this time he'll settle down, you know... Nathan is a player, I know. But I was hoping he would find his match already, and possibly it can be Megan..."

"I would love to see Nathan stop whoring around, Lucas, but not with her. She's so artificial and she's obviously just after his money. You can tell that. Just look at her face."

He scratched his head and sighed. It was pointless arguing with her, and as much as he wanted to defend his little brother, Lucas knew Brooke was probably right. He didn't like the girl either, but he decided to give her a chance since Nathan was with her. His brother needed to settle down, and seeing him in a steady relationship for more than two weeks kind of made Lucas happy.

"Just try to be civil with her, okay?"

"So doesn't let her get in my way." Brooke hissed and he nodded quickly.

Lucas decided not to argue with her anymore and headed outside. It was a beautiful day and he instantly smiled. His friends were all there hanging out and enjoying the pool and the barbecue... just couldn't get more perfect.

Well, except for Haley.

His smiled vanished slowly when he thought about her. She was still living back in Tree Hill and he didn't see her in almost three years. He couldn't deny the fact that Haley would always be a part of his life, and it was hard knowing that she was not there now. They grew up together, faced high school together, went to college... and now... well, now, things were different. And Lucas sometimes just wished they could be together again.

"Can I go and get some more beer?" Jake approached him laughing a little and shook his head at whatever Mouth and Nathan were saying to him. "We're kind of running out."

"Sure, man. Help yourself. Nathan brought two twelve packs earlier."

"I'll be right back. You want one?"

"No, I'm okay."

Lucas made his way to his brother and patted his shoulder. Meg was laying on a chair on the other side of the pool while Peyton and Jenny were playing in the water. Mouth was now chatting with Skills and the girls on the pool deck, while Brad, Jake and Peyton's five years old boy, was teasing them nonstop.

"How's it going?"

"Good." Nathan smiled to him. "I think I was needing some time to relax."

"I told you you're working too hard."

Nathan nodded. Working all the time was the best way to keep his mind off of his own messy life. He was slowly getting jealous of his friends. They were all married and had kids, or were getting them soon. He was the only one who seemed to still be stuck in high school world. He was still single, no kids, no love, no nothing.

"You know... in moments like this I miss Haley the most." Lucas said in a low voice. Nathan sighed and looked away from his brother when he mentioned Haley. "I wish she could be here."

"Well, thankfully she's not."

Lucas rolled his eyes at him and then shot him a look.

"I think it's about time you stop with this thing."

Nathan didn't answer his brother. He and Haley never really get along. They knew each other since he could remember, but they were never friends. She was always around him and the others and they went through school and college together. Haley was a constant in his life since forever, but now he could say he was better without her near him everytime.

"Haley is okay, Luke." Nathan told him a while later. "She's a big girl now, and she knows what to do with her life."

"I know that. I just miss her. Maybe I should go there and visit her next month."

Nathan nodded his head. He knew how much Lucas loved Haley, besides everything he always tried to respect that. She was like a little sister to his brother, and Nathan had to say he tend to be a little protective of her as well. Lucas would be crazy if anything ever happened to her.

"Maybe you should." Nathan pointed.

"Why don't you come with us? You could visit mom..."

"No, thank you." Nathan cut him and shook his head vehemently. "I don't wanna see Dan."

Lucas nodded. He knew Nathan had a point there so he didn't tell him anything more. Things always got ugly when Dan and Nathan were near each other, and his brother was already too messed up. He didn't need putting up with their dad right now.

"Let's get something to eat." Nathan changed subject quickly. He was not in the mood for Dan or Haley. In fact he was pretty much good knowing they were far away from him.

**XxXxXxXxXxX**

Haley was putting all the toys in the blue colored box she was carrying while wandering through the house. The TV was still on and she smiled sweetly at the cartoon that was showing at the moment. It was his favorite since he was very little and he always made her watch it.

"Momma..."

She turned to see the young four years old approaching her still on his pajamas, carrying his stuffed bunny with him. His hair was messed up and his blue eyes still a little puffy from sleep. A smile appeared instantly on her face and she placed the box on the floor when he was near enough for her to pick him up on her arms.

"Hey, baby... how did you sleep?"

"Good." He answered.

"Are you hungry? I made pancakes."

He nodded and gave her a small smile. He was still sleepy and she felt her heart ache for him. Jamie was everything to her. He changed her life completely, and since he arrived, nothing was the same. She couldn't imagine her life without him now, and that she had to admit. She was lucky to have him.

"Mommy has to do some things today, so you'll stay at the cafe, okay?"

"Cool." He smiled. "Grandma always let me eat chocolate cake."

"Yeah, I know how much you love to stay with her, huh?" Haley placed him in a chair and went to serve him breakfast.

"I'll miss her when we go to New York." He told her with a pout and she caressed his face with a sweet smile.

"I know, baby. She'll miss you too. But we'll come visit her as much as we can, ok? I promise you."

He nodded. Haley knew it would be quite a change for Jamie, since he never left Tree Hill. But now she got this amazing job opportunity she couldn't say no, even though she knew Nathan would be there. Going to New York would change everything to her and Jamie, and she knew that too well. But she was also thrilled to see her old friends again, especially Lucas. She couldn't wait to tell him the news.

"You'll love Lucas, Jamie." She smiled at her son and gave him a glass of orange juice. "The last time he saw you, you were just a baby. Aren't you happy to meet him?"

"Yeah." Jamie nodded, smiling, while chewing on a small piece of pancake. "And Nathan too, right?"

Haley nodded and caressed his hair.

"Grandma said he likes to play basketball." Jamie told her enthusiastically. "Do you think he'll want to play with me?"

"Sure he will, sweetie..." She smiled at him and felt her heart ache at the thought. She knew sooner or later she would have to say the truth, she had to let them know. But it was hard. It was always so hard. Going to New York would change everything again and she knew it was just a matter of time.

But it was time for her to face Nathan again.

**To be continued...**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hey guys, thanks for the feedback on the first chapter! Hope you continue reading and reviewing! **

**Chapter 2**

Jamie was pretty much happy in the cafe, sitting in a stool right in front of a big plate full of chocolate cookies. Karen knew how to please him, that was true. He was eating each of the cookies slowly, and every now and then he gave some attention to his Max Steel that was lying next to his cookies. His blue eyes were only really focused on his food.

Haley smiled while watching him. Jamie was such a great kid. He was smart for his age, and he was also a really caring and loving child. He would always understand when she couldn't afford a new toy or when it was time to go to bed. He liked when she read books to him before sleep time, and Haley found it nice that he got it from her. Jamie was, despite the circumstances, the best thing that happened to her until now. There was nothing compared to the love she felt for him, and she knew her life wouldn't be complete without him there with her.

"So, how is everything going?" Karen interrupted Haley's thought and approached her with a smile. The girl turned to her and gave her friend a small smile. "Have you called Lucas yet?"

"No. I'll do it later tonight. I need to be there next week so I can start working and I'm planning on going there on Wednesday."

"He'll be so happy when you tell him the news..."

"I hope." Haley sighed. "I mean, we don't see each other for a couple of years or more..."

"But you know he loves you, Haley. He and everyone else."

Haley smiled and nodded.

"Everyone except Nathan, right?"

Karen shook her head lightly and patted Haley's hand softly.

"Nathan doesn't hate you, Haley."

"Well, if he doesn't, eventually he will..." She looked briefly at Jamie and then shook her head and focused on Karen again.

"Haley... sooner or later, you'll have to say the truth to him. You can't hide this forever. You know that. Even if you decided to stay here in Tree Hill for the rest of your life, eventually this would come up. Jamie will grow up and he'll start asking questions..."

"I know that. It's just that I... I don't know how to deal with it. I never did. I don't know how to deal with Nathan..."

"Although I never approved the decision you made, I understood you, Haley. But keep in mind that you have to tell the truth to him sooner or later. And it'd be better sooner."

Haley nodded. She knew that. But she also knew this would not be easy.

**XxXxXxXxXxX**

_Flashback_

_Haley hated those stupid parties. She did, really. Especially because Nathan was always attending to them, and it was impossible to simply avoid him like she would prefer. Peyton and Jake were anywhere to be seen at the time, and Lucas was probably looking for Brooke somewhere, as he said he would do. She sighed and decided to drink. _

_Her week was being terrible since she had another awful fight with her boyfriend Mark. Things were starting to get difficult with him and Haley knew it was time to let him go. She liked him in the beginning, but they reached a point where she didn't really care anymore. All she wanted was to end the drama and continue with her life. She had a lot of drama with Nathan and there was no need to add more of that. _

_"What a surprise! I thought you said you'd be in your dorm today...!" _

_Haley held her breath for a second and closed her eyes for an instant. The place was pretty crowded and she thought she would be lucky not to ran into him. Unfortunately, that was not the case. _

_"What do you want, Mark? I'm not in the mood for this now."_

_"Well, these days you're not in the mood for me at all."_

_She sighed and started walking past him, heading outside. She knew he would follow her, but it was better than continue any conversation with him inside the house. She didn't want him to make a scene in front of those people._

_"Wait. Haley."_

_"Mark, just leave me alone." She continued walking until she was almost reaching the street. He grabbed her arm and looked at her somewhat pleading, wanting her to talk to him. She took a long gulp of her beer and he let her go._

_"I just wanna talk to you, Haley. I know I'm not being the best boyfriend, but I want to change..."_

_"Oh, stop it, Mark. I'm really not in the mood for this." She interrupted him and ran a hand through her hair. "Maybe you should just go."_

_"Just let me talk to you..."_

_"Look... Mark, please. Don't make this worse. I think it'd be better if we stop seeing each other. It's just not working."_

_Mark looked at her seriously, and then let out a small laugh, shaking his head at what she told him. Haley waited for him to say something, but he didn't. _

_"We're over, okay?"_

_Mark couldn't believe at what he was hearing from her. Suddenly, Haley saw his eyes change and it was clear he was now mad at her for breaking up with him. She took a step back and waited for him to actually say something._

_"This has to do with him, hasn't it?"_

_"What? Who are you talking about?"_

_"Nathan" He told her. "You're doing it because of him."_

_"Mark, are you out of your mind?! Me and Nathan don't even get along! You see, that's one of the things that are making me go crazy on this relationship. You are just delusional!"_

_"I've seen the way he looks at you, Haley. You can't deny that."_

_"You're crazy." She rolled her eyes and decided to start walking back to the house. She was not going to stand there and hear him talk nonsense to her about Nathan. _

_Mark grabbed her arm forcefully this time and stopped her from walking away from him. She tried to escape his grip but didn't succeed. _

_"Let me go, Mark."_

_"I'm not letting you go until you cut this bullshit about breaking up with me."_

_"Let me go!"_

_Haley was about to start screaming at him when she was suddenly surprised to see him approach them slowly, a bottle in his right hand and the other hand in his pocket. His face was unable to read, but he was aiming his looks to Mark. _

_"Let her go."_

_Mark turned to him and laughed lightly. Nathan took a swing of the liquid on the bottle and then focused on Mark again, waiting for him to go away and leave Haley alone. _

_"I said, let her go."_

_"Or you'll do what? She's my girlfriend, Scott, not yours."_

_"You wanna see what I can do? I'll show you, punk."_

_Nathan started walking towards the other guy, and Haley knew things would get ugly if she didn't do something. Quickly she put herself between the two of them, using her free hand to push Nathan away a little, preventing him from doing something stupid. _

_"Nathan, don't." _

_"Let her go now."_

_Mark finally let her go, but continued facing Nathan, daring him to actually do something. Haley continued pushing him away from Mark, now using her two hands. Nathan slowly walked back as soon as he saw the other guy walking away from them. _

_"This is not over, Haley." He told her as he was reaching the street. _

_"You come near her again and I'll fucking kill you." Nathan warned, and then finally shook his head and looked down at her, who stopped touching him._

_Haley closed her eyes briefly and sighed. She didn't want him to get involved in her problems, but she had to admit she was grateful for him to stand for her. _

_"Thanks..."_

_"It was about time you dumped that dickhead." He rolled his eyes and continued drinking his vodka. "I never really liked him."_

_"Yeah, you always made that pretty clear." Haley told him and looked down. She was truly mad at Mark for acting like that, but was also kind of sad about everything else. He used to be sweet and caring with her, but things slowly changed and he turned into another person. _

_Nathan sighed and touched her chin, making her look up to him. She gazed his beautiful blue eyes, expecting for him to say something. _

_"Are you ok?"_

_"Yeah." She simple nodded. "It's better this way, you know? It was just not working anymore. I should've listened to you." She let out a small laugh and he smiled at her, playfully. That was a rare moment between them, and Haley had difficult recalling another time when he simply smiled at her. He always would flash her that stupid smirk, but smile at her... that was a first. _

_"See? I was right since the beginning. Let's get inside... I'll help you find Lucas."_

_Haley shook her head and he stopped walking to look back at her. He noticed how her hair was just perfectly framing her face and how her eyes just look more beautiful. Maybe it was the vodka. _

_"I... think I'll just stay here for a while. I don't feel like going back there."_

_"Okay." He nodded and then instantly got down, sitting on the grass. He placed his bottle beside him and waited for her to do the same. _

_"What are you doing?" Haley asked him, a little unsure of what he was doing. _

_"I'll wait here with you. This guy could come back or something."_

_"I know how to deal with him, Nathan."_

_"I know you do. But Lucas would go crazy on me if something happened... and you're on my watch now." _

_Haley half smiled and sit beside him, looking away. Nathan was obviously a little bit high because of the vodka, but still very aware of the situation. He knew he couldn't leave her alone or Lucas would really be mad at him, and he was not really in the mood for another fight. They were always arguing about Haley anyway, and Nathan was getting tired of it. _

_He looked at her quickly when he noticed that she grabbed the bottle and started drinking too. A small smile appeared on his lips and he caught her looking at him._

_"What?" She asked defensively._

_"Nothing. Just surprised you decided to have some fun for a change."_

_"I always have fun." She rolled her eyes at him and took another swing of the liquid._

_"Yeah, sure." he mocked her with a laugh and got the bottle from her hands, drinking a bit himself before handing it back to her. "If you consider all the boring stuff you do as fun..."_

_"Shut up." _

_She slapped his arm playfully and Nathan laughed, shaking his head at her. He was buzzed already and suddenly it was like her presence didn't bother him anymore. Actually, he was starting to enjoy her presence there, like they were real friends. Haley smiled at him and then he knew she was starting to feel just like him._

_It didn't take long until they were laying on their backs looking at the sky, sharing small stories and remembering funny facts of their childhood. _

_"You were always a pain in the ass, Nathan." She giggled and turned to face him. _

_"I was..." _

_"But that never stopped you from being so cute." Haley said, a drunk smile on her lips. "Oops, I shouldn't have said that..."_

_Nathan focused his blue eyes on her brown ones and smiled back at her. She was beautiful. He didn't know if his mind was playing tricks on him or if she really was that good looking, but at that very moment, it was being difficult not wanting to kiss her. Yes, he wanted to. He really did. _

_"You think I'm cute, huh?" He asked, turning his head to her. _

_"Just 'cause I'm drunk..."_

_"Well, in this case... I think you're the most beautiful girl around the campus."_

_She looked truly surprised by what he said._

_"Do you really think that?"_

_"Just 'cause I'm drunk." He smiled at her and she let out a cute giggle. Nathan reached out his hand and caressed her face, his thumb touching her chin loosely, drawing invisible circles close to her lips. _

_"Can I ask you something, Haley?" When she nodded, he decided to continue. "Would you be really mad at me if I kissed you now?"_

_"Maybe I'll want to kill you tomorrow." She smiled. "But right now... I want you to do it."_

_He smirked and didn't wait another second: Nathan closed the gap between them and kissed her lips slowly and tentatively at first, careful not to scare her. Haley instantly accepted his kiss and parted her lips for him, welcoming his tongue to caress hers. She timidly ran her right hand through his short hair and felt him deeper the kiss. _

_She was enjoying it and that scared her a little. A small voice was telling her this was a bad idea, but, at that very second, kissing Nathan was the best thing she had ever experienced. She could taste the alcohol on his kiss, and she could smell his perfume as close as never before. He smelled good and felt even better, and it was difficult accepting that, even drunk. She wondered what he was thinking. _

_Nathan distanced his lips from hers and gave her a small peck before smiling. _

_"Maybe we shouldn't stay here..." He looked around to check if they were still alone. _

_"Do you wanna come to my room?"_

_He saw her bite her lower lip and felt suddenly nervous. _

_"Do you want me to?" He returned the question. _

_Haley only nodded and gave him another kiss. He couldn't say no to that, no matter how much his head told him to. _

_"I think that's a 'yes'." He smiled. "That's good... 'cause I want you badly, Hales."_

_"Well, me too." She accepted his help to get up and he held her close to him as soon as they were standing. _

_"You'll hate me in the morning..." He told her with a drunk smile playing on his lips. _

_"Then we have to make this moment worthwhile." She smiled back and closed her eyes when he captured her lips once again._

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**

"I'll miss Jamie so much, you know..." Karen smiled at Haley, retrieving her from her thoughts.

"He'll miss you too." Haley looked at her again.

"I hope you guys come to visit soon." She smiled sweetly at the girl. "Maybe with Nathan and Lucas? I miss those two very much."

Haley nodded, even though she never imagined going anywhere together with Nathan. Despite anything that happened between the two of them, they continued disliking each other, that much never really changed. As Nathan told her, it was only a mistake.

Jamie turned his head to her and smiled in a cute way before focusing again on his Max Steel toy. She saw him every time Jamie looked at her. It was a strange feeling, but even though her and Nathan were not even friends, she had to admit that she was grateful for having her son. Jamie was not a mistake... he was the best thing that ever happened to her, even though it was so difficult going through everything practically alone.

"He has his eyes." Karen smiled.

"He does."

"Nathan will love seeing him again. And now maybe you can let them spend some time together... to know each other. And when you're ready, tell him the truth."

That was the right thing to do: tell Nathan the truth, tell him he had a son. She owned him and Jamie that.

"I think I'll go home and call Lucas." Haley said. "At least I know he'll be happy I'm going to be there. C'mon, baby... time to go."

**XxXxXxXxXxXxX**

"Hey, uncle Nathan!"

"Hey, Brad!" Nathan ruffled the boy's hair and smiled widely at him. Brad was Peyton and Jake's five years old son, and he was always full of energy. He was always running around playing ball or just picking on his sister Jenny, but was a good kid. Nathan liked him and he knew the feeling was mutual.

"Wanna play with me?"

"Sure. What are you doing here today though?" Nathan asked. "Are your mom and dad here too?"

"No, just me. They went to the supermarket and I wanted to stay here."

"You having fun with Lucas?"

Brad nodded his head emphatically and rolled the basketball on his small hands.

"We were playing, but aunt Brooke asked him to do something. She's asking him to do a lot of things."

Nathan smiled at the boy and nodded.

"Lucas has to help her now, you know that..."

"Yeah, Because of the baby..." Brad smiled and Nathan nodded his head at the boy.

"That's right. She can't do some things alone now, and then we have to help her out. You remember that, don't you? When a woman is expecting a baby, she needs lots of attention. When your mom was expecting you, it was the same way..."

"Her belly is getting big." Brad said enthusiastically.

"Yeah." Nathan smiled.

"I hope it's a boy so he can play basketball with me. Jenny never wants to..."

"We have to wait and see, huh?"

Lucas appeared on the doorstep and smiled at his brother, walking up to them. Brad looked up to his uncle Lucas and smiled, hugging him quickly but with affection. The blond ruffled his hair and then turned to Nathan, while the boy distracted himself with the ball.

"I just dropped by to see if everything was ok." Nathan told him and Lucas nodded. "I don't know if I'll have time to stop by during the week... I have lots of meetings until Thursday."

"I told you that you should slow down a little..."

"Well, I have clients, Luke... can't let them waiting."

Since Nathan decided to never really start his basketball career, as soon as he graduated decided to start his own company. He worked as a management and financial consultant and already had lots of people working for him and with him. Nathan actually was doing a pretty good job and his efforts were being paid off as he was getting more and more contracts. What bugged Lucas the most was the fact that he was slowly getting more and more immersed only in his job.

"I know that, man... I just don't want you to work so hard."

"I'm doing fine." Nathan rolled his eyes and laughed lightly. Lucas nodded and then looked down, encouraging Brad to go play, so they could be alone.

Nathan looked at the boy when he ran to the basket which was placed on the other side of the front yard and then focused again on Lucas. He had a serious expression on his face, but the younger Scott didn't say anything about it.

"He's getting big... probably will be as tall as Jake."

"Yeah." Lucas agreed with his brother. "He's thrilled about the baby. He keep saying it'll be a boy."

Nathan half smiled at that. He didn't care if Lucas' baby would be a girl or a boy... he was actually thrilled to have a real nephew in a few months, despite its gender. He didn't really tell Lucas that, but it was the truth. He was as excited as Brad about the new baby, and was already planning to spoil the kid very much.

"Haley called me." Lucas said out of the blue, and waited for Nathan's reaction. The dark-haired man turned his blue eyes to him and it was impossible to read what he was thinking. Lucas didn't know if this was a good sign, but he continued talking anyways. "She's coming to New York this week."

"How nice."

"And she's coming to stay."

Lucas waited again for his reaction, but Nathan only nodded his head. He wished his brother and Haley would stop that stupid thing and just get along, and maybe now it was the time for that. Lucas and the others found it funny at the beginning, and slowly they got used to their constant bickering, but as they grew up, things didn't get better. By the end of their college years, their small and constant banter stopped and Lucas thought it was good thing for some time. But then, he realized that the two of them were now just avoiding each other. Slowly, Nathan and Haley stopped talking to each other for good, and things just got worse than before. Lucas always thought they would eventually stop with all that hostility one day, but at that point, he started to think they really disliked each other.

"Why?" Nathan asked seriously. Knowing Haley would be there, in the same city that him and again inside his friendship circle made him feel strange. He didn't really know what to make of that, but certainly the feeling was not really nice.

"She applied for a job and got it, so she decided to finally come here... I mean, everybody is here, and I never wanted her to be alone back in Tree Hill. She insisted it would be better for her, but I never accepted that... we could've helped her out with Jamie a lot more if she was here."

Jamie.

Nathan remembered him, even though he only saw Haley's son once in his life. He was probably by Brad's age by now, and he instantly thought how Peyton's son would love the news. He didn't know what he looked like by now, but Nathan did remembered his bright blue eyes...

**XxXxXxXxXxXxX**

_Nathan entered his mom's house distractedly, and dropped the basketball on the floor before continuing down the hall to her bedroom. He was on the rivercourt with some of the guys earlier that day and decided to head home since it was his last day visiting his mom in Tree Hill. He was already leaving in New York for some months now and it turned out to be a good choice. Lucas and Brook were there too, just like Peyton and Jake.. He was happy to be away from Dan, at least for most of the time, and was still close to his brother and best friends. _

_When Nathan entered his mom's bedroom, though, he halted at the door, slightly surprised to see her holding the baby on her arms. Karen smiled at Nathan as soon as she acknowledged his presence and told him to come in. _

_"Hey..." He greeted her, with his eyes glued on the boy._

_"Hey, Nathan... look who's here to a little visit." _

_He approached the slowly and carefully, and the nine months old baby turned his head to him and looked at Nathan with his big blue eyes. Nathan kept looking directly at him for some time, and then, Jamie smiled. _

_Nathan smiled back at him and he saw her mom do the same. _

_"Is Haley here?"_

_"No... she had to do something and asked me to take care of him for a couple of hours. She must be here anytime soon, though." _

_"Huh..."_

_"So you're finally meeting Jamie..." Karen told her son while she kept playing with the baby. "Isn't he the cutest thing?"_

_He gave his mom a small smile, knowing she was true. When Haley had Jamie, college was already over and Nathan was not there. To tell the truth he was quite surprised when Haley said she was pregnant. Haley had always been a responsible girl, she never did anything wrong or impulsively, and it kind of struck him when he got the news, and for some time, he was actually nervous and scared at the thought: he had been with her before, and although he was sure they used protection, it was difficult not to think about the possibility, even knowing it was probably impossible._

_Nathan decided to sit beside them on the bed, his attention on the boy. His mom noticed that and decided to ask if he wanted to hold him for a moment. Her son nodded, to her surprise, and she handed the baby boy to him. Nathan held him close, and Jamie took some time studying his face in silence. He kind of looked like his mom, he could tell that, but those blue eyes he surely got from Mark. Nathan never liked the guy, and he actually thought Haley would be better off without him. She would do a great job with the kid, he could tell that, and Jamie certainly didn't need a father like that. _

_The boy smiled again and happily touched Nathan's face, his small and chubby hands wandering on his face, taking him away from his thoughts. _

_"I think he likes you." Karen stated and saw Nathan let escape a small smile._

_Her son caressed Jamie back and then looked at her with a grin on his face._

_"He looks like Haley."_

_"Yeah, he does. He has his father's eyes, though."_

_Nathan nodded, focusing on the boy again._

_"He's a big boy..."_

_"Yeah, he is." She smiled. _

_"Hey, James..." Nathan finally talked to him, and the boy instantly responded to that with a small laugh. "You're a handsome little guy, aren't you?"_

_He kept playing with him together with his mom for some time, and never forget the feeling he got in that small encounter with Haley's kid. It was like, deep inside, they shared a connection. _

**XxXxXxXxXxXxX**

"How old is he now? Five?" Nathan asked with some interest.

"Four. Will be five in a couple of months... Haley said he's thrilled to meet us. Especially you, by the way. She told me he's crazy about basketball, and apparently she told him about you."

"He must be a nice kid..." Nathan wondered and Lucas only smiled. "I mean, Haley is certainly a great mom. It's obviously hard for her raising a child by herself... being a single mom and all of that."

"She's doing a great job so far." Lucas smiled. "Maybe she's better off without Jamie's father, you know?"

"She sure is." Nathan agreed, thoughtfully. "So... when is she coming?"

"She'll be here on Wednesday, and we're planning to throw a little welcome party to her and Jamie. Although I know you guys insist on ignoring and hating each other, or whatever childish behavior you two have, I wanted you to be here, Nate. Can you do this for me?"

Nathan seemed to think for a moment, but in the end nodded his head. He would have to see her anyway, sooner or later, so why not? Besides, even though he wouldn't tell, he was truly curious to meet Jamie again.


End file.
